Last Call for 8.23.21 — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics

Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.

First Shot

CareerSource Florida announced Monday that Stephanie Smith will be the new chair of its board of directors.

Smith is Anthem’s director of government relations, a position she has held for the past year. Before that, she was senior manager of Florida public policy at Uber and public affairs director for AT&T Florida and Georgia.

Smith, who lives in Tallahassee, has also gained public sector service under two gubernatorial administrations. She has served as deputy chief of staff, director of external affairs and business development liaison for the Governor’s Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development.

“As Florida’s workforce policy and investment board, the CareerSource Florida Board of Directors has a vital role in supporting our state’s job seekers and employers,” Smith said.

“I am honored and humbled to be selected to lead the CareerSource Florida Board of Directors at such a pivotal time, working in collaboration with our education and economic development partners to achieve Gov. (Ron) DeSantis’ vision for Florida to be No. 1 in workforce education.”

CareerSource Florida provides policy direction for talent development programs administered by the Department of Economic Opportunity, Florida’s 24 local workforce development boards, and 100 career centers.

The CareerSource Florida State Board serves as the Governor’s principal workforce policy and investment board, working in partnership with DEO, responsible for the state workforce system’s fiscal and administrative affairs, and local workforce development boards that serve Florida’s businesses and career seekers.

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Lisa Smith is leaving the Agency for Health Care Administration to become the director of nursing home public policy for LeadingAge Florida, an association representing retirement communities, nursing homes, and other facilities and businesses focused on care for older Floridians.

“Lisa is a tremendous addition to our advocacy team,” said Steve Bahmer, president and CEO of LeadingAge Florida. “She is a proven leader with more than a decade of experience managing the Medicaid reimbursement system for long-term care. This knowledge will be critical as we look toward the future of the long-term care payment system and how we best serve our members. I’m thrilled to have her join our team.”

At AHCA, Smith served as the bureau chief of Medicaid Program Finance for the last three years. Her responsibilities included the fiscal planning of the $34.4 billion Florida Medicaid services budget, and practitioner and institutional rate-setting, including nursing homes, hospitals, and clinics.

Smith, an FSU graduate, was also responsible for monitoring the financial performance and health of Medicaid managed care health and dental plans.

“We are excited to welcome Lisa to the LeadingAge Florida Advocacy team,” said Susan Langston, vice president of advocacy at LeadingAge. “Lisa brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, including an in-depth understanding of Medicaid public policy and budgets, the Nursing Home Prospective Payment System, and public policy implications of Medicaid funding and other financial decisions. Her experience complements and further expands the value and service offerings we bring to our members.”

Evening Reads

“The man in Joe Biden’s way” via Russell Berman of The Atlantic

“Big business pledged nearly $50 billion for racial justice. A tiny fraction went to groups focused on criminal justice reform.” via Tracy Jan, Jena McGregor and Meghan Hoyer of The Washington Post

“The U.S. is getting a crash course in scientific uncertainty” via Apoorva Mandavilli of The New York Times

“America’s longest war: A visual history of 20 Years in Afghanistan” via The Wall Street Journal

“Why some socially liberal Gen-Z voters aren’t leaving the GOP” via Alex Samuels of FiveThirtyEight

“What full FDA approval for COVID-19 vaccines really means” via Umair Ifran of Vox

“Hey, GOP: There’s a museum up in Montgomery y’all really ought to see” via Diane Roberts of the Florida Phoenix

“Why Twitter can’t afford to ease up in fake-news fight” via Kevin Tran of Variety

“Can’t buy a house. Can’t afford rent. What are you supposed to do?” via Amber Randall of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

“The clickbaitification of Netflix” via Dan Kois of Slate

“How big data carried graph theory into new dimensions” via Stephen Ornes of WIRED

Quote of the Day

“This is not about calling for lockdowns or closing down our economy. It’s about taking small common-sense steps to protect our children and our families and prevent another lockdown from ever happening again.” — U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, criticizing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ order banning school mask mandates.

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